Moving to a new place
Li Lai'er is indeed quite capable.
The auction went smoothly, and Jinxiu Pavilion became famous in Qingyin County overnight.
The embroidery from Jinxiu Pavilion became famous among the local people, and for a time, everyone was proud to own a piece of embroidery with the word "Jinxiu" on it.
If the embroidered petals were used, it would be the center of attention and unexpectedly spurred local wealthy families to continue purchasing them.
This led to a shortage of embroidery products from Jinxiuge, and the girls became skilled in their work and graduated ahead of schedule.
After discussing it, An Hongdou and Wu Linglong decided to take two embroiderers who were willing to move to the new place to set up another apprenticeship class.
This will not only help more girls make a living, but also support the supply of goods to Qingyin County, and at the same time expand the territory of Jinxiuge, achieving multiple benefits in one fell swoop.
Of course, for An Hongdou, leaving Qingyin County would allow her to avoid hidden troubles and also give her the opportunity to travel around, which she was really looking forward to.
Before leaving, An Hongdou sent a letter, which was naturally addressed to Li Zeli.
Li Zeli has not returned since his hasty departure from Qingyin County. Occasionally, he sends back letters to report that he is safe, but he does not explain the reason for his departure or what he did.
Although I don't know what he's busy with now, I'm just glad to know he's safe and sound. An Hongdou is busy with her own career now, and although she misses him, she has no worries.
As for the place to move to, after much consideration, An Hongdou chose Qingling County.
As luck would have it, An Hongdou had the idea of leaving that day, and the next day she received a letter from Qingling County.
The letter was written by the wife of the magistrate of Qingling County, inviting her to visit Qingling County and welcoming her to open an apprenticeship class there.
If she could get the support of the local magistrate's wife, the construction of the Jinxiuge branch would likely proceed much more smoothly. However, she had no prior personal relationship with the magistrate's wife of Qingling County, so she would need to investigate further before making any plans.
In her reply, An Hongdou thanked the wife of the magistrate of Qingling County for the invitation and made an appointment to visit, but declined the accommodations arranged by the magistrate's wife.
Wu Linglong had already asked Li Zeren to rent a courtyard for them in advance. If they wanted to open an apprenticeship class, it would be more prudent to choose the location themselves.
With the auction concluded, An Hongdou handed over the management of the new apprenticeship class in Qingyin County and the operation of Jinxiuge to Li Lai'er.
"I will only give you my trust once. If you truly want to build a future for yourself and your child, I am willing to help you. But think things through carefully. If you try to climb the social ladder again, ruin the reputation of my Jinxiu Pavilion, or do something that betrays Jinxiu Pavilion, I will not forgive you!" Before leaving, An Hongdou solemnly warned Li Lai'er.
“There is no such thing as a permanent partnership, but as long as there are interests involved, the relationship will not fall apart. Don’t worry, even if our interests conflict in the future, I will not destroy my own cash cow. I have put a lot of effort into making this Jinxiu Pavilion a success. As long as I can still get a share of the profits, I will not turn down my own gains.” Li Lai’er did not make any promises, but her words made An Hongdou feel that the two of them could go the distance together.
A small courtyard in the town of Qingling County.
With the help of Li Zeren, An Hongdou and Wu Linglong settled down.
“You’re all young ladies, and you’re not familiar with this place as much as Qingyin County. The courtyard is remote and unsafe. This location is good, and the price is reasonable, but it’s a bit smaller than you’re looking for. We might need to redesign it,” Li Zeren explained.
“That’s easy. The house is small, so Hongdou and I will share it. You can go stay at the inn.” Wu Linglong joked.
"Madam is too kind. If the house is too small, let's not squeeze in. I'll go with you to rent another room nearby," Li Zeren said with a fawning smile, pulling on Wu Linglong's arm.
After a simple settling-in, An Hongdou presented a visiting card to the wife of the magistrate of Qingling County.
It turns out that their connection started with the question of whether someone was a mule or a horse.
The wives of the other county magistrates all came from good families and had never lifted a finger since childhood. They couldn't distinguish between mules and horses, let alone raw ingredients and grains.
The wife of the magistrate of Qingling County, however, came from a farming family and had helped with farm work since childhood, so she had some experience in this area. She thought An Hongdou was a wonderful person and that the two would get along well. That's why today's events occurred.
After a conversation, An Hongdou learned that the wife of the magistrate of Qingling County was named Bai Fangfang, and that she and the magistrate of Qingling County, Zhao Jingxing, were childhood sweethearts.
Zhao Jingxing came from a scholarly family. His grandfather was a fifth-rank official who retired and returned to his hometown to enjoy rural life. He lived next door to Bai Fangfang's family.
At that time, Zhao Jingxing's father was a low-ranking official of the ninth grade, who was assigned to a post in a remote area. Fearing that it would interfere with Zhao Jingxing's studies, he sent him to his grandfather's house to study.
The two got to know each other, but due to the difference between men and women, they were initially just nodding acquaintances.
One day, while working in his field, where the grass was thick but the bean sprouts were sparse, as usual, Old Master Zhao was bitten by a poisonous snake. Fortunately, Bai Fangfang's parents rescued him and saved his life.
From then on, the two families grew closer. Old Master Zhao began asking the Bai family to help him weed his land, only going to help out when he felt like it.
As time went on, the children from both families interacted more. Bai Fangfang would bring food to the grandfather and grandson, and the grandfather and grandson would teach her to read.
That's how a good marriage can be formed.
“Madam Li, I am also from an ordinary family and know how difficult life is for ordinary people, especially for women. When I first heard that you were running a class for female students, I admired you greatly. I don’t have your great abilities, but I can do what I can to have the county school in Qingling County offer a literacy class for girls one day a month,” Bai Fangfang said.
“Madam Zhao, you flatter me. It is a great merit to teach women to read. I hope you can come to my apprenticeship class in the future and help the female apprentices learn their names,” An Hongdou invited.
“No problem. I was just thinking that if a woman is illiterate, she might end up being sold off and having to count the money for the seller. I hope that women can have more self-protection abilities. But Madam Li, you are giving women a chance to change their fate!” Bai Fangfang’s eyes showed a hint of admiration.
“We are all just helping hands; truly changing one’s fate depends on the individual. Madam Zhao, there’s no need to exaggerate my deeds; there’s only so much I can do. If the world’s moral climate doesn’t change, I fear that a woman like me, who is just trying to make a living, will have a difficult time finding a husband,” An Hongdou said helplessly.
“There are gains and losses, but it’s a matter of personal choice. However, in my opinion, money is more reliable than men,” Bai Fangfang said frankly.
An Hongdou agreed in her heart, feeling that the two were truly compatible.
With Bai Fangfang's strong support, the first apprenticeship class in Qingling County was established.
With the profits from Jinxiu Pavilion, these female apprentices were much luckier. As long as their embroidery was up to standard, they could receive their wages first and then send it to be consigned for sale.
Incentives in the form of real money have fueled the enthusiasm of the apprentices.
An Hongdou and Wu Linglong handed over the apprenticeship to two embroiderers and began to discuss how to make Jinxiu Pavilion famous in Qingling County.
“It’s a good idea, and we don’t mind the workload. Plus, it’s about the celebrity effect. Why don’t we let the county magistrate’s wife use Jinxiuge’s embroidery first, and ask her to promote it casually in social situations? We’ll not only provide her with the embroidery for free, but also share some of the profits with her. I don’t think she’ll refuse,” An Hongdou suggested.
“It’s true that having connections makes things easier, but the profits are hard to divide. Too much or too little might damage relationships. I suggest we don’t give her profits, but instead give her a tuition fee. We can give her the money under the guise of hiring a tutor to teach the girls to read. That way, it looks better on the surface. In the end, it’s not that we’re buying her publicity, but that we’re asking the tutor to simultaneously fund her girls’ school,” Wu Linglong said.
"This method is thorough. Good Linglong, if you spend more time with Third Brother, you'll become even more adept at handling things!" An Hongdou praised.
"What? You mean I didn't know how to handle things before? You, An Hongdou, I haven't even complained about you yet, and you've already picked on me!" Wu Linglong put her hands on her hips, pretending to be angry.
An Hongdou didn't beg for mercy; she made a face and ran away.
"Stop right there! If I catch you, you're finished!" Wu Linglong shouted as she chased after him.
Jinxiuge's expansion plan in Qingling County is proceeding in an orderly manner.
We have also received orders from other counties, with the most coming from Qingzhou County.
Qingzhou County is indeed the most prosperous of the counties.
Soon after, An Hongdou also received a letter from Feng Qiang, the wife of the magistrate of Qingzhou County.
"Greetings! I hear that your embroidery business is thriving. I would like to lend you a helping hand. The people of Qingzhou County are prosperous and the market is vast. I would like to work with you to expand the market. I look forward to hearing good news."
"Hey, that wife of the magistrate of Qingzhou County is really shameless. She's obviously just trying to get a piece of the pie since we're making money, but she acts like we have to beg her." Wu Linglong said angrily after reading the letter, "It has nothing to do with her in the first place, why is she trying to make herself noticed? Jiayin is just silent, let's just leave her out for now!"
An Hongdou was still unsure of Feng Qiang's intentions, so she chose to remain unchanged and observe what would happen next.
An Hongdou didn't expect that when she didn't get a reply, people from Qingzhou County would come to visit her.
The visitor was Feng Qiang's dowry maid, who was very polite, but her words were very rude.
"Greetings to Madam. My wife hasn't received any letters and fears something might have gone wrong, so she sent me to check on things. Surely it's not that Madam doesn't want to be with my wife anymore?"
An Hongdou pulled back the angry Wu Linglong and shook her head at her.
“I have no personal relationship with your wife, and I am unsure of the authenticity of the letter I received so suddenly. I am also busy with many things to do after arriving here, so I haven’t had time to reply. I am sorry to have troubled you to make this trip,” An Hongdou replied.
“My wife also has this concern. That’s why I’ve come in person. You don’t need to worry about anything else. My wife is very sincere. Now it’s up to you to see how sincere you are.”
"I am not as learned as your lady. I don't know what you mean by sincerity, young lady. I hope you can enlighten me." An Hongdou personally handed over a cup of tea, along with a few pieces of silver. She originally carried them with her for emergencies, but she didn't expect them to be used here.
An Hongdou knew that Wu Linglong had a straightforward temper, and since this girl came uninvited, there was no need to treat her with courtesy.
But the problem is that her wife's surname is Feng.
An Hongdou had heard from Li Zeli that the Feng family was one of the most prominent families in the world. Before figuring out Feng Qiang's identity, it was wiser to treat her with more courtesy than to make an enemy.
Although the maidservant was polite in every way, her words and actions revealed her disdain for them; she probably wouldn't even look at a newly established embroidery workshop. Thinking about it this way, Feng Qiang's motives still need further investigation.
Of course, the most troublesome thing was that when Li Lai'er was sent home, she heard that the Xie family was going to marry the daughter of the Feng family, and she didn't know what the connection was between this "Feng" and that "Feng".
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